Check the admission requirements: The requirements are set out in the curriculum.

The formal admission requirements apply (completion of a relevant diploma or master’s degree) and in addition, some doctoral programmes at the University of Salzburg have qualitative requirements: a provisional commitment to supervision, as well as a letter of motivation, a CV and a description of the dissertation project. Please refer to the curriculum!

Find a potential supervisor: Try to find someone at the University of Salzburg as soon as possible who will supervise your dissertation project. You can find potential supervisors via the relevant pages of the respective departments. TIP: It is helpful to outline the research question for your dissertation at the time of initial contact.

Contact the Office of Admission and submit all necessary documents. You can find information on admission to the doctoral programme here. For questions to the Office of Admissions, please use the  registration form. The application for admission will be processed by the staff at the Office of Admissions.

Registration of your dissertation via PLUS Abschlussarbeitenverwaltung: You can access PLUS Abschlussarbeitenverwaltung via your PLUSonline profile (or this link:  PAAV). There, you must register your dissertation, specifying your main supervisor and up to two co-supervisors. All steps in the process are carried out digitally – for example, it is no longer necessary to obtain signatures. Students can submit a request for supervision of their thesis and view the progress of the process. All parties involved are also informed via email about outstanding tasks.

Preparation of the research proposal: The research proposal must be submitted in the first year. The proposal sets out the conceptual framework of the dissertation project.

The proposal serves as a basis for supervisors to decide whether they are willing and able to supervise your work. Furthermore, the proposal helps to clarify whether the project is feasible in its planned form. Thus, by drawing up the proposal and engaging intensively with your chosen topic, you will gain a clearer picture of the project and the roadmap to its completion.

The proposal must include:
o The research question and aim of the dissertation. It must be clear that the dissertation project constitutes an independent piece of academic work.
o the state of the art in the field,
o approach, methodology, timetable and provisional bibliography,
o For a cumulative dissertation, the proposal must outline how many papers are to be submitted, at what stage of submission they are, and how they relate to one another.
o Specifications regarding the content and structure of the proposal are set out in faculty handbooks and information documents where applicable.

Presentation of the proposal: The proposal is presented orally. A member of the doctoral committee with expertise in the subject area must be present, and the presentation should be open to the public.

Please upload the timetabel and the comments from your supervisors to  PAAV.

The dissertation proposal is approved by the Dean. This entails:
o the formal assignment of supervision and the signing of the supervision agreement (also carried out in PAAV),
o admission to doctoral seminars, and
o the opportunity to attend courses.

Writing the dissertation

Documenting progress: Progress and meetings with supervisors are documented in  PAAV.

Completing coursework: Attending courses and giving regular presentations on the dissertation.

Completing additional work: The curriculum sets out which additional work (lectures, publications, etc.) may be undertaken as part of the doctoral programme.

Attending conferences and meetings (including those involving active participation).

Support measures and services are described in detail in the  Handbuch Qualität im Doktoratsstudium. This handbook serves as both a guide and a reference framework for all those involved in doctoral studies. This applies in particular to doctoral students.

Submission of the dissertation

Submission: The dissertation must be submitted via   PAAV. Guidelines for the assessment and evaluation of dissertations are set out in detail in the Handbook on Quality in Doctoral Studies. You can find the handbook on the  Intranet.

Oral examination (dissertation defence): Further details are set out in the curriculum or can also be found in the handbook:  Handbuch Qualität im Doktoratsstudium.